A month has passed since it was revealed that Priscilla was a royal candidate, as well as me accepting the position to be her knight… unofficially, for the moment.
Not much had really changed since then, as the royal selection would only officially start once all five candidates were found, so we spent the time as usual, with me and Schult serving our lady to her various whims, which mostly consisted of touring around the barony.
According to Priscilla, the reason for her near-constant tours was a mix of her wanting to see whatever interesting things she could, as well as spreading her luck to the lands that she would soon own.
Ah, and also getting away from her husband.
After becoming Priscilla's knight, it was quite obvious that Leip hated my guts, and that he hated the fact that I was the one at Priscilla's side even more.
And so… that exact hatred was what had led to this very annoying situation.
"So? Who is this?" Priscilla asked, barely concealing her boredom. "I believe I told you that I wished to view the ruins to the north today, yet here I am, having been called down by your insistence. Has your memory depleted as you edge closer to your final days that you've forgotten such a thing, old man?"
Ah, that definitely pissed Leip off. Even an outside observer would notice how he was chewing his lip through a veiled smile.
"My, such harsh words, my dear wife. I simply wished to introduce you to this man here, to let you see what a real knight should appear like," Leip said, sending a quick glare my way.
I simply shrugged from beside Priscilla.
Before, I would have respected the man, or at least appear to do so, as I was simply the guest staying there at the whims of the trophy wife that was Priscilla Barielle.
But now that I was a knight of a royal candidate… well, my status had changed.
And hearing Priscilla openly belittle him didn't help with my respect either.
"This is the third son of the Endymion family, Gilian Endymion. He has quite the talent with the sword, and has become quite the exalted name due to his martial might," Leip continued. "Today, I have asked him to come to see you. Consider it my thoughtfulness for a young man's wishes, and a way to open your eyes that have been clouded by your insistence."
Ah, so he wanted this Gilian to become Priscilla's knight instead of me.
How interesting.
"Oh? Thoughtfulness, coming from you? How rare," Priscilla said, covering her face with a fan. "And? What do you have to say about this arrangement?"
Gilian then stepped forward.
Even I had to admit he was handsome, and his golden hair shined brightly under the sun, fitting perfectly with his slender yet built form that was hidden under his well-kept knight uniform.
"I apologize for the sudden visit, as well as interrupting any possible errands you had planned," he said calmly. "But I have long heard the name of the new Baroness, and have been looking forward to the day I met you. Your beauty truly is something to be esteemed."
Ugh… I felt sick.
Those finely crafted words really were like those of a fairy tale, yet seeing it here, I couldn't help but hate hearing them.
"Oh? You know how to speak properly, at the very least. And my beauty is indeed that of the divine, so it is good to know you are not blind either. Be grateful that you breathe the same air as a woman such as I," Priscilla said, nodding her head. "So? What is it that you wish to do? I am guessing that you have not come all this way to simply grace yourself with my presence."
"You would be right, Priscilla-sama," Gilian said, shaking his head. "I simply wish to attempt to present what I may have to offer to a beautiful woman such as you."
He then took a knee in front of Priscilla, extending his hand with a practised smile.
Priscilla simply looked at the hand with disinterest before she turned to me, her eyebrow quirking up in confusion.
"Selian… what is with that pitiful face you're making?" she asked.
Huh? Pitiful face?
I brought my hand to my lips, noticing that my mouth was currently curled into an annoyed frown.
Yes… annoyed… was that the word for this emotion?
Whatever it was, seeing this guy trying to kiss up to Priscilla's shoes with his annoying face… it really ticked me off.
"Nothing, Priscilla-sama," I said, shaking my head.
"Oh? Is that so?" she said, smirking at me. "Hmm… how amusing."
What was so amusing, Priscilla-sama?
And why… why was I so annoyed?
"Ahem! Now, why don't you take up his offer? He can even take you to those ruins you wished to see," Leip said, giving Priscilla a strained smile. "Just for today, is it not acceptable to indulge in a young man's hopes? I am sure you'll find him interesting."
He really was pushing for this, that shitty old man.
But Priscilla wasn't someone who would-
"Very well," she said, causing my thoughts to grind to a halt. "But do understand that this is a kindness beyond anyone's wishes."
"Of course. You have my humble gratitude," Gilian said, accepting her hand as he stood up.
Wait… wait, what the hell was happening here?
And this feeling… was it… jealousy?
Why… why was I feeling that way?
"Ah, and Selian," Priscilla said, her words causing me to look back up at her as she began walking away. "That look doesn't suit you."
With her lips spread into a wide smile, she then entered the horse-drawn carriage that Gilian had prepared, and before I knew it, the horses began galloping away into the distance.
"Finally, that wretched woman left," Leip said, his spiteful words bringing me back to the present. "You, and that sorry excuse for a butler. I want you two to meet me in my office at the last bell's toll. Your attendance is mandatory."
"Uh… understood," I said, still stunned.
What… what exactly had just happened?
—
"Good, you're here," Leip said, turning to Schult and I as we entered the room.
"Yes… but I'm still confused as to why you called us here," I asked.
"Don't be hasty, commoner," he spat, readjusting himself in his chair. "I am simply giving you two an offer."
"An offer?" I said, confused. "An offer for what?"
I thought this man wanted nothing to do with me.
Leip then reached under his desk before placing down a sack, the jingle of clattering coins filling the room.
"I can offer you power as well, whether it be a minister position, or even land," he said, narrowing his eyes. "All I ask is that you leave. And take that child with you, if you want."
So it was something like this, huh?
That explained a lot of things.
"And what about Priscilla-sama? We are her servants, after all," I said.
"Hmph. Are you an idiot? Why else would I invite Gilian here? He can easily take your place as her knight, and things would end up going more smoothly that way," he explained, shaking his head with an annoyed frown.
Wait…
"'Going more smoothly'… what do you mean by that?" I asked, my eyes narrowing. "And your dislike for me has always been odd. While I might not match up to the Sword Saint, I would be quite the sought-after knight for anyone else."
It was almost as if…
"Haa… well, if it's come this far, I might as well explain things. It's not like it would change anything anyway," he said. "Priscilla is a candidate to the throne. An extremely enviable position, for both herself and her husband. Why else would I take such an insufferable woman as my wife, the one known as the 'Bloody Bride' no less."
The 'Bloody Bride'… yes, that was another moniker of my lady.
Priscilla has had many husbands in the past, but each one without fail eventually met their end soon after they married her, whether it be due to illness, war, or a simple accident.
It was a famous myth, how she could bring such ill-fortune to those betrothed to her… but despite that, her potential partners were always too blinded by the beauty before them to take into account her past.
But more importantly…
"Ah…"
I see… that makes sense now.
It all made sense now, in fact.
He wanted to control her as his wife who could reach the throne, and eventually take her political power for himself.
Those were quite the grand ambitions, especially for someone at his age.
"And why are you telling me this?" I said, gripping my spear. "I have already told you that I'm Priscilla's knight, yes?"
"Yes, yes, that nasty woman and her commoner knight. I know the song and dance by now," he said, waving his hand with an annoyed glare. "And that is why, I am once again asking. Will you take my offer? You would be blessed with great fortune, and I'm sure with your looks, you could pick up most girls that you fancied and start a family, or do whatever else you want. Women that are much better than that vile bitch."
As he finished his offer, I noticed a few presences surrounding the room.
Ah… so this was how things were going.
I guess having Gilian take away Priscilla had more than one function.
"I see… that is a tantalizing offer, I admit," I said, moving to stand in front of Schult with my spear held tightly in my hand. "But unfortunately for you… I will have to refuse."
Leip clicked his tongue in annoyance.
"Hah. I thought so," he said. "I have no idea what you see in that woman, but at the very least, I commend your loyalty… up to the very end."
With those final words of his, I felt the presences from behind the doors shift, and with a shower of wood, seven figures rushed into the room.
They were quite strong, from what I could tell.
"Schult… stay behind me. And don't move a muscle, even to dodge," I said, placing my hand on his shoulder. "I promise to keep you safe."
But first, I had to get out of this tight space, or else I wouldn't be able to keep him safe while dealing with all of these people.
And so, linking a trail of Yang magic to the outside courtyard through the window, I activated my teleportation magic, using the image of 'connection' to cross the distance in an instant, even crossing through the walls between us.
"W-What? Huh?"
"Calm down, Schult," I said, releasing his shoulder. "Is it so surprising that I can take passengers?"
Even though it's annoyingly taxing in terms of focus and mana usage…
Anyway, despite my teleportation, the seven assassins didn't let up, as they quickly leapt out of the window to follow me.
Well, it wasn't like I was planning on running anyway.
Five swordsmen, a spearman, and a mage… interesting.
And four of those swordsmen seemed particularly odd.
"You guys… you aren't assassins, are you?" I said, smirking as they positioned themselves to surround me. "Rather, you seem like knights. I guess that old man really pulled some strings, huh?"
Were these guys meant to be placed in that knight tournament he brought up? So he could have one of his pawns at Priscilla's side at all times?
Well, that explained Gilian.
"Quiet, scum! Your death will be as painful as it will be pointless," one of them said, raising his sabre. "Consider it punishment for going against Leip-sama!"
Yep, definitely his pawns.
Well then… no need to drag this on any longer.
I had been missing a chance to truly go all out.
Well… at this point, there was no need for formalities to draw this out, right?
Just a simple fight.
In a flash, I rushed forward, readying my spear to penetrate the first swordsman.
Whipping it in an arc, with the spear tip aimed to slash across the man's neck, my strike was blocked right before it could hit its mark, the man's sword sliding down my spear's shaft as he aimed to cut me down.
I backed off, flicking his sword to the side as I repositioned myself to stab him this time, my spear blurring from the speed as I unleashed a flurry of strikes, each one of them being blocked by the man's sword.
But, in the next instant, I disappeared. Appearing behind the swordsman on the right that was aiming to attack my blind spot, my spear lodging through his head with ease.
One down.
But still… these guys were quite strong, and experienced too.
While teleportation in combat was an incredibly useful skill, once they knew what to expect, most expert fighters could deal with it without getting killed right away.
But that was only when considering head-on combat.
When they were 'spectators' to a battle, they were quite open targets.
With the group's momentary surprise, I then turned to the mage, launching a concentrated ball of energy from my spear towards him as I closed in.
As expected, the mage was able to block it quite easily with a shield of water, but from that momentary distraction… there was an opening.
Concentrating my internal mana on my legs and around my spear, hardening and amplifying their power, I launched forward in a swift leap, thrusting my spear forward.
With little resistance, it broke through the mage's defensive spell, and an instant later, it exploded through the mage's body, coating the area in a shower of blood and organs as his top half crumpled to the ground.
This is why I hated attacking with my full strength.
So damn messy.
But now there were five left…
Turning to look back at the group, I slowly made my way back to Schult during the lull of the battle, eyeing each of their hardened expressions.
So they were taking me seriously now…
"He's strong… just as Leip-sama said," one of the remaining swordsmen said.
"And skilled as well. He's not to be underestimated," the spearman added. "None of us can take him on alone."
"No… but we can take him on together. While he's full of tricks, they become useless once they are found out," another said.
Hmm… so they thought that, huh?
Well, they could think what they wished, but I wasn't going to sit idly by as they strategized.
And so, leaping forward once more, I sprinted towards the closest enemy, the spearman, with my weapon held forward.
Watching as the man readied himself, along with the others, I smirked before spreading my mana across my body, activating another one of the spells I had practised day after day.
And so, with my form going invisible, I watched as the spearman turned around, anticipating my teleportation.
Well, to be honest, I had to praise him.
If I was to use my teleportation spell, that would be the place I would appear.
But that was if I used it.
"Here he co- ack!"
His words cut off into a gurgle as my spear cut through his open back, bisecting him as I reappeared to grasp his spear out of the now dead man's clenched hands.
There was a flash of surprise across all of their faces, but still, they didn't waver.
Leip really must have developed these pawns well, for them to continue facing me like this.
With a spear in each hand, I turned to the next one, who had decided to distance himself from me, before throwing them both towards him, the spears shrieking through the air towards either side of his.
As he raised his sword to defend against them, I felt for the connection of the mana I left on my spear, teleporting to it just as they passed by his side, and in one swift motion, I cut through the man's neck, decapitating him as a shower of blood sprayed into the air.
Hmm… I didn't think it would be so easy to take down this one, but I guess he was one of the weaker ones.
But to die so easily… such was the weakness of a strength in numbers.
I wonder who-
Stepping back, I dodged the incoming sword by a hair's breadth, raising my spear to block the other that came from above.
Hmm… this one is smart.
He even made sure to set his stance in case I teleported away.
And they were coordinating too…
Feeling the itch of my instinct, I moved my spear to ward off the first swordsman's strike, just in time to deflect the other's as he ambushed me, parrying his downward strike to the side.
He smoothly wound his follow through with another strike, his skill with the blade revealing itself as his longsword raced towards my neck at the speed of sound.
Troublesome.
Releasing a flash of light from my hand, I felt the two's movements momentarily froze as they were likely blinded by the display, and using that opening, I leaned back far enough for his blade to sweep over my nose.
Straightening out my hand, I covered it in a veil of mana as I brought it down on the man's undefended form, cutting through his leg as he toppled to the ground.
Like that, he would likely bleed out in a couple of minutes.
And as for the other one, while his vision had seemingly recovered, with my hand free and his sword still locked with my spear, he would be easy-
My eyes widened as I instinctively teleported away, the hair on the back of my neck standing up as I took a breath to reorient myself.
"Aww~ So you read that? How frustrating!"
Huh?
That voice…
Stepping out of the shadow of the last swordsman, who had leaped back, a young woman in a maid outfit came forward, a short sword held in each hand.
And this wasn't any ordinary maid… no, this was Priscilla's personal one… the one who, out of all the members of the manor's staff, was most likely to be on her side.
One who I had talked to most often besides Priscilla and Schult…
"You… what are you doing here?" I asked in confusion. "Answer me, Yae Tenzen!"
From the odd faces the last two swordsmen were making, they were just as out of the loop, so I doubt that she was a part of their initial group.
Her lips curled into a snide smile as she shook her head, and an instant later, she pounced, running forward while keeping her body close to the ground.
She was skilled, but… not skilled enough.
A technique focused on surprise, stealth, agility, and precision.
An assassination technique meant to kill in once strike. The first strike.
She had lost the moment I evaded her first attack.
Dodging yet another slash by stepping back, with my range advantage, slashing my spear across her inner thigh was something simple, and as such, the woman fell down a moment later.
"Ah~ I knew this would happen," she said, struggling to get to her feet for a moment before collapsing to the ground. "You… you're simply too strong, Selian-sama."
I narrowed my eyes, placing my spear over her open neck as I glared at her.
"Why? Why would you do this?" I asked.
What was the point?
"Huh? Obviously, it was because someone wanted Priscilla-sama killed," she said with a smile. "Ah, but don't misunderstand. I didn't switch loyalties. I had been given this task before I became her maid, after all~"
I narrowed my eyes.
"That… doesn't make sense," I said. "Why would you attack me here and now?"
"Hah. You think I wanted to do this now? No, I wasn't meant to make my move until later on," she said, her eye twitching from the pain she was likely feeling. "At least before you came. You're just too damn strong, so I thought I would take me best chance to remove you~ As you can see, that didn't really work out~"
No… no, it did not.
"Is that so? Then… any last words?" I said, readying my spear.
"Haha. So dramatic~ You're still in a battle, you know?" she said, looking over to the two swordsmen who were standing still, likely waiting for me to make the first move. "But sure… you know, I was just following orders, but I actually rather liked Priscilla-sama. So I'll leave you with this… be careful with Vollachia."
Vollachia?
What did that nation have to do with Priscilla?
I know she was from there, but her ties to that place had ended as soon as she married Leip.
If it was after she was revealed as a royal candidate, I would understand, but at this point, she was only the wife of an old baron, whose territory was on the outskirts of the nation.
But before I could get any answers, Yae's eyes glazed over, as a trail of frothy drool began to run out of the corner of her mouth.
Poison… how annoying.
Was dying in such a way so great?
If you liked Priscilla, why didn't you just surrender and join her side?
Shaking my head, I got rid of the useless thoughts as I turned to face the last two of the attackers.
I wasn't sure what would happen right after, especially since Priscilla was still out with that annoying guy, but I would at least deal with this before-
My thoughts were interrupted as the area was bathed in an intense light, banishing the darkness of the night, as a great fireball shot through the sky.
What?
I thought I had dealt with the mage already, so how-
No, that didn't matter.
Because that fireball wasn't heading to me, nor was it a misplaced shot.
Instead, it was heading right for the boy that had followed my words to a tee, his small body shaking in his boots with wide, red eyes as he remained where I had first teleported with him.
Gritting my teeth, I focused on Schult, appearing in front of him right before the attack hit, thrusting my spear forward in an attempt to destroy the spell's core.
Unfortunately, I was not fast enough.
The fireball slammed into the tip of my spear with force, erupting in a grand explosion as I felt my hair sear from the heat, my clothes bonding with my skin as the sweat evaporated in an instant.
"Haa… haa…"
Panting in exhaustion, I glanced down at my arms, noticing that past the tattered and singed clothing, my skin was burnt bright red, with some spots already spilling out white puss.
Fuck… that was going to be a pain to heal, if I could at all.
Burns were a bitch to deal with using healing magic, much less third-degree ones, which I seemed to have.
Luckily, with most of the nerve endings burnt off, I didn't feel any pain, but I had a sinking feeling that wouldn't last for long.
But first…
Turning back, I breathed a silent sigh of relief at Schult's uninjured form.
"You followed my orders in staying put… good job," I praised him.
"S-Selian-sama! Y-Your body-!"
"Don't worry about it," I said, cutting him off as I placed my hand on his head. "It's the adults' job to deal with these things, so you just stay put and leave it to me."
Really… he did a great job staying still, despite the battle that had happened around him.
To not run despite the obvious fear present in him was more than worthy of praise.
My ability to teleport was based on the 'connection' aspect of Yang magic, where I connected two points so that moving between them happened instantly.
But to do that, I needed mana there as a sort of marker or target for it to work.
Usually, I would shoot off a bit of mana, like when I first escaped into the courtyard, or even use it through an object like with the thrown spear from earlier. I also ensured that I left mana where I could in a battle so that I had places to retreat to if needed, and to coat the land in easy markers for me to use in battle.
And with Schult, I had left some mana on him after our teleportation so that I could easily step in to save him when it was needed, just as I had done now.
So truly, well done, Schult.
I would have to tell Priscilla about his valour today.
But first…
"To take that strike willingly… despite your strength, you really are just an idiotic peasant."
The grating voice of Leip Barielle entered my ears as he came forward, a tube-like device in his hand.
Was that some sort of wand?
Because that fireball… that was on the Ul level, at the very least.
No… considering how it had completely obliterated my mana defences that I had coated over my body, and even had the power to do so after I struck its core, it was probably at the Al level.
Leip Barielle… he was a former military man, and he had maintained his good shape even in his old age, but it was nowhere near this level.
A meteor?
It had to be, right?
"But then again, you are the one loyal to that woman, so I should have expected that you have something wrong with your head," he continued, shaking his head. "Tell me, why would you fight for her? Perhaps some nighttime visits I wasn't aware of?"
I grit my teeth, tightening the grip on my spear as I looked up to face him.
Why did I fight for her?
That was a good question… why would I?
She was beautiful, yes, but that wasn't it.
And while she wasn't as strong as me, she could more than defend herself against any normal attacker, so it wasn't out of some sense of being needed.
No… it was something deeper.
Something so simple, that I didn't even have a way to explain it.
I liked her confidence.
I enjoyed making her expression shift.
I wanted… I wanted to earn myself a place in her heart.
In essence…
"Because I like her, I guess," I said, spitting out a wad of phlegm and blood, staining the burning grass below me. "Yeah… I guess I like her."
Yeah… I like her quite a lot.
And more importantly… I want that arrogant, independent, and secretly kind woman to share the same feelings with me.
Although I wouldn't voice that out loud.
I had a feeling I would get cut down if I did.
"Ha. So you really were taken in by her looks, just like the rest," Leip said, walking forward with his two fighters at his side. "You know, being with that woman is quite a curse. She isn't called the 'Bloody Bride' for nothing."
"Yeah, and I don't care about that," I said, smirking confidently. "It was my luck that brought us together, but there is no way I'll fall to something so dumb as a curse!"
"Ha! Is that so? Even though you're like this!?" he shouted, chuckling to himself. "Such arrogance and idiocy… You two really are a good match."
Ah… well, I couldn't deny that.
If he could launch another one of those fireballs, I had already lost. And even if he couldn't… those two were trouble.
I couldn't move nearly as well, I could tell that much already.
The grip on my spear was strong, but stiff. My spearmanship will be nowhere near as smooth and controlled in this state.
Taking them down… I could probably do that, but it would be risky.
And that was only if I considered these three to be the last of my enemies.
Gilian was likely a part of this in some capacity, seeing as he was invited here to separate Priscilla and me, so logically, there was a high possibility of others being involved.
"Hmph! While your voice still invades my ears with useless noise, that is one thing you have said that pleases me."
Hearing the familiar voice, my eyes widened in surprise, just like the three men in front of me.
Slowly turning my head, I watched as Priscilla walked over to stand next to Schult, resting her hand on his head as she pulled him close.
"But do not misunderstand, commoners. It was not something so abstract as luck that brought that fool to my side," she said, pointing her fan at me. "Rather… it was simply the world turning in my favour."
She then gave me a smile as I felt a wave of mana enter my body, a comfortable heat spreading across my skin a moment later.
"Now, Selian, my fool… put an end to this farce at once," she said.
My lips spread wide in a smile.
Well, if it was a command from my lady… then who was I to refuse?
Facing forward once again, I took a step forward, and before I knew it, I was engulfed in a pink fire.
But instead of hurting me… it did the opposite.
I felt my burns heal and my breath become steady as the warm, comforting feeling of this mysterious fire washed over me.
What was this?
Some sort of magic?
Ha… how ridiculous… but I would expect no less from Priscilla.
If it was like this… I could deal with them easily.
"W-What? You, what are-"
Leip's words were cut off as I leaped towards them, cutting through his body in one smooth motion as his corpse fell to the ground.
The other two, shocked at the appearance of Priscilla, and the subsequent death of their master, were unable to do anything as I turned my focus to them, their instincts unable to handle me teleporting above them as I struck my spear through their heads one after another.
And with that… the fight was over.
Looking over to Priscilla, I was only met with the sight of her victorious smile, shining down upon me like the sun.
Truly… what a ridiculous woman.
And it was that ridiculous woman that I seemed to have set my heart on.
Looking down at the string of corpses around the courtyard, and the trail of scorched grass from Leip's magic, I took in a breath of the cool, nighttime air as my heartbeat calmed.
I really do wonder what would happen now, with the lord of the land having been killed, but for the moment… I was just glad it was over.
Walking back to Priscilla and Schult, I wiped off the blood that had stained my cheek.
"Hmm. You are dirty, fool," Priscilla said.
"I know. My apologies for this unsightly appearance," I said with a smirk. "But considering the circumstances, I can only hope for your leniency."
She raised her eyebrow in faint amusement.
"My, such pretty words. Did one of these fallen commoners hit your head while I was gone?" she asked.
"No, but…"
Looking at her once again, I noticed that there was a lack of a certain person beside her.
"Why did you come back?" I asked.
"Hmm? Is it not natural for a lady to return to her abode?" she said.
"I see… then, why… why did you leave?" I asked, averting my eyes. "I didn't think that was like you, Priscilla-sama."
"Hoh? To think you can understand mine divine self… you've gotten arrogant while I wasn't looking, fool," she said, covering her face with her fan. "As for why, it was obvious that the old man was preparing something. I simply decided that such a farce would be displeasing to wait for, and left it in your care so that things could end quickly."
She closed her fan, narrowing her eyes at me as she continued.
"I could have dealt with something like this if I wished, but I thought it best that you show your worth instead. Be proud that you were able to finish things here. It is the bare minimum that is required for my knight," she said, ending her words with a satisfied smile.
Hah. Those were quite the shallow words of praise, huh?
But… her knight, huh?
"Hoh? What's with that pitiful face, fool?" she asked.
A pitiful face?
Ah… right. That.
Well… I couldn't deny it now.
Since I discovered that I had romantic feelings for this woman, there was certainly something that had been bothering me.
And something I was able to name quite confidently now.
"Well… I was just wondering where that Gilian is," I asked.
"Hmm? That commoner is currently dealing with his carriage and horse, I would assume," she answered. "Why is that?"
"Just… is it fine to leave him?" I asked, averting my eyes as I frowned at the ground. "He caught your eye enough to join him, right?"
Priscilla's eyes widened in surprise, and a moment later, they narrowed once more.
Not in anger or disgust, but rather, in amusement.
Taking a few steps forward, she came to a stop in front of me as she placed her fan under my chin, tilting my head upward to meet her eyes.
"Such jealousy doesn't suit you, fool," she said with a smirk. "Although… even one such as I can admit to it being endearing."
She then shook her head once more.
"But there is no need for you to worry, Selian. That man was simply a useful way to move things forward," she said, turning back to Schult. "And not just anyone would be able to interest me for long, much less find their way into my heart."
Wait… what did she mean by that?
My eyes shot open in shock.
From the flow of the conversation, it almost seemed as if-
"What… what has happened here!?"
My thoughts were interrupted by the surprised voice of the very knight that had started this whole thing.
Gilian Endymion.
"Leip-sama… what… did you do this, peasant!?" he shouted in anger, reaching down to draw his sword.
Ah… I guess there would be one more fight before this all ended.
As I prepared to leap forward and strike with my spear, Priscilla stepped between the two of us.
"How annoying… now that you've served your purpose, it would be best that you be gone," she said with a bored tone.
"Huh? Priscilla-sama… don't tell me you're a part of this?!" he shouted. "Even if you're a lady, I won't stand for such a betrayal!"
"Ha. Blundering commoner, a mouth like yours would be better served remaining shut," she said, her hand raised upward into the air. "I am saying you are no longer of use."
And then, out of nowhere, a large, red sword appeared in her hand.
And the power I felt from it… it was immense. Like nothing that I had felt before.
What… what was that sword?
As I stood there in confusion, Priscilla then swung down, with Gilian raising his sword to defend despite his surprise.
But that didn't matter.
Instead, Priscilla's sword cut right through it, as if ignoring the blade, before slicing through the man himself in one smooth motion.
"Hmph. A fitting end to such an uninteresting commoner," she said as the two halves of the man fell to the ground.
And as if that wasn't enough to ensure his defeat, the divided corpse was then set alight in a bright flame, the fire burning through the body in an instant, not even leaving ashes in its wake.
Uh… wow.
That was… quite amazing.
I knew that Priscilla was strong, but with that display, she was firmly in the upper class of fighters I had met, right alongside Crusch and that Juukulius guy, although it had been a while since I met them.
But as if something to this effect was natural, Priscilla turned around without an ounce of care in her expression as her sword disappeared.
How… how did that work?
Ignoring the power it had, what kind of sword could appear and disappear at will?
"Hmm… it is quite troublesome that my husband has succumbed to his old age and met his end," she said, tapping her chin with her fan. "Regardless, someone will surely need to take over the domain in his name. Don't you agree, Selian?"
Uhh… I am quite certain that Leip didn't die of old age… but I guess I'll play along.
"Indeed… someone will," I said, a smile beginning to form on my face. "You are quite an honourable wife, to take on his burdens after death. He truly did not deserve you."
"Hah. I agree. He was lucky to have such a magnanimous woman like me to preserve this land," she continued, covering her face with her fan.
The two of us looked in each other's eyes, amusement slowly seeping into our expressions, before we suddenly broke into a fit of laughter.
It was quite an odd sight, to see two people laughing amidst the destruction and death around us.
But as I thought… whether I liked this woman or not, and whether she would ever return said feelings… there was no denying that it was interesting being by her side.
Yeah… it really was quite fun.
But as for what she had insinuated before, about finding a way into her heart… well, I guess I could always find out later.
It had been quite the long day, after all.